


The Bard and the Knight

by SunnyBalenoMonkey



Category: The Facts of Life
Genre: Dorky Romance, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Romance, confusing crushes, the facts of life - Freeform, unlikely relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-12 11:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15994259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyBalenoMonkey/pseuds/SunnyBalenoMonkey
Summary: An unlikely crush leads to an unlikely relationship which leads to surprise and confusion among the gang at Over Their Heads.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I actually love Blair/Jo, however I wanted to try a completely different pairing. I'm surprised not a lot of people try other pairings outside of Blair/Jo. This little fic explores a potential Jo/Tootie pairing I thought of. Jo's my favorite character, and I feel like there's a lot of interesting personalities you could bounce off of her when it comes to relationships. 
> 
> This is taking place sometime during season 8. While I think the later seasons aren't as good as the earlier ones, I can't help but like them. I like that they got a little more humorous as time went on. 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy!

She was big. She was strong. She was beautiful. She was a perfect combination of an elegant genius and gruff survivor. She was Jo Polniaczek. The former delinquent was busy organizing the magazines on the table. She was totally unaware of the person staring at her from across the room.

Tootie Ramsey leaned on the counter and studied the brunette thoroughly, like an artist studying their canvas. She carefully traced the muscles in her hands and forearms as they subtly flexed which each movement. Her dark brown hair was longer and fuzzier than it use to be, but it didn't make her any less attractive. In fact, it made her more attractive.

"Tootie, why are you staring at Jo," asked Andy Moffett as he propped himself up onto the counter.

The young woman snapped out of her trance and replied, "Huh? Oh, I wasn't staring at her..."

The boy raised an eyebrow and questioned, "You weren't? You sure looked like it to me."

"What's Jo doing that's so fascinating, Tootie," George Burnett asked as he carefully screwed a screw into a broken wedge on the windowsill.

Tootie's mind rapidly searched for a plausible answer, then once she found one, she replied, "I was making sure she wasn't mixing the wrong magazines in with each other. She's doing a good job so far! I gotta go now." With that, the amateur actress scampered out of the shop and made her way into the main house. Andy and George glanced at each other in confusion.

Andy asked, "George, have you noticed Tootie's been acting weird around Jo lately? Ever since they performed _Romeo and Juliet_ together, she keeps staring at her." The handyman smirked and replied, "I have, actually. Maybe she's trying to figure out what other play she can rope Jo into. I gotta admit, their performance was great." The boy shrugged and nodded in agreement.

 

Tootie went into the kitchen and sighed. She felt so confused and embarrassed. That was the seventh time she caught herself staring at Jo. Even though they had put on a brilliant performance at the community arts center for a special all-female project, the actress regretted begging Jo to perform alongside her in _Romeo and Juliet._ Ever since playing the titular characters and developing incredible chemistry on stage, she developed strange, awkward feelings she couldn't understand. Well, she kinda knew what they were, because she experienced them many, many times throughout her life. It was a crush; a painful, bizarre crush that went against everything Tootie had ever known about herself. She didn't think she was gay, as she still drooled whenever she saw a hunky guy with perfect pecs. But Jo...Jo was different for some reason.

Maybe it was because of her physical appearance, since she was slightly buff and had sexy green eyes. Or maybe it was because she made anyone smaller than her feel safe thanks to her tough attitude and protective nature. Whatever it was, it made the younger woman crazy. She remembered wanting to desperately swoon on stage when Jo confessed Romeo's undying love to Juliet. It was so damn romantic!

But that's the thing; that was a performance, not real life. She couldn't just go up to Jo and ask her out. Yes, it was true that Jo came out to her friends after she figured out what her sexuality was when she did some soul searching in the Catskills, however, she wasn't going to turn around and date a pipsqueak like Tootie, especially if she was one of her dearest friends. It just made the young actress frustrated and sad. She wanted help, but she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone what was going on.

 

Beverly Ann Stickle walked into the living room with a book and sat down. She noticed the downcasted Tootie sitting on the couch and became concerned.

"Is there something wrong Tootie," she asked kindly.

"I'm ok Beverly Ann. It's nothing important," she answered wearily, though she knew her expression and slumped shoulders would give her away.

They did, as the older woman didn't believe her. She replied, "Oh Tootie, you can talk to me about anything. I'm always willing to listen." The young woman gave her a small smile, knowing that her old mentor's sister was sincere. Even though Beverly Ann couldn't replace Edna Garrett, she was still a kind, comforting figure in the girls' lives. They still appreciated her being in there for them. Taking a gamble, she decided to venture for advice from the older woman.

Tootie asked, "Beverly Ann, have you ever developed a weird crush on someone you didn't expect to have a crush on? And then you didn't know how to handle it?" Her older friend pondered thoughtfully before replying, "I might've. I remember having a crush on the quarterback from the football team in high school," she chuckled, "he wasn't my type at all, but I couldn't help it. He had such a powerful physique, and he was surprisingly intelligent!"

"How did you approach him about it," Tootie asked. Beverly Ann replied, "Well, I didn't unfortunately. Though a friend gave me good advice. She suggested that I write him an anonymous note and write it as if it was from someone else's point of view. In the note, I would write 'Rumor has it that Beverly Ann has a crush on you. How do you feel about it?' I don't know if it would work, but it didn't sound like a bad idea to me. Why do you ask?"

The actress licked her lip and responded timidly, "Well, I have a crush on a friend, and...I don't know how they'd feel if I asked them out. I'm too afraid to confront them."

The older woman raised her eyebrow and stated, "Well dear, I think it would be better to just confront the person face to face, but if you really are that nervous about it, then I say try the note strategy."

The young woman nodded excitedly and answered, "OK! I'll do that then. Thanks Beverly." She rose from the couch and scurried upstairs to the shared bedroom the girls had to start on her note. She planned on giving it to Jo later in the day once she finished it.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jo sat behind the counter and reread her checklist of merchandise. Natalie and Blair wandered around the store doing their various tasks while Andy tried to help George with the stubborn window. A couple of customers walked in and took a look around, and one in particular caught Jo's eye.

She was a sleek, tall woman with long black hair and a fancy green tunic and a long grey skirt. She was very pretty, Jo noted. The woman was Nancy Olson, one of the original members of the Eastland gang. After getting out from under Margo's snobby influence, she reconnected with Blair, Tootie and Natalie, as well as the other girls she went to school with. Jo ended up forming a crush on her after getting to know her better sometime after they met. She wished she could go over to her and flirt with her. She was very good at flirting, so much so that she was able to make Natalie and Blair flush when she did it to them.(Much to their annoyance)

The Bronx native stood up straight when the black haired woman approached the counter, holding a _Miami Vice_ calendar.

"Excuse me Jo, but I'm a little confused by this," Nancy politely stated, "these calendars are on discount, but it's not stated what that discount is."

Jo glared at Blair for a moment, knowing that the heiress accidentally forgot to put the meaning of the discount up on the sign. The blond caught the glare and ducked her head behind a stuffed penguin, knowing she was in trouble. Jo's attention drew back to Nancy as she explained, "Well, the discount is that you get two calendars for the same price."

The young woman looked at her with a puzzled expression, asking, "Why would I need two calendars?"

"That's what I said," Jo stated, glancing at the debutante once more.

Blair peaked out from behind the penguin and stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "It's Miami Vice!"

Jo rolled her eyes, unimpressed with the excuse. Nancy thought for a moment and replied with a grin, "Well that's Ok. I know someone who's a big fan of that show. I'll just give it to them!" The biker nodded with a smile, then after exchanging money, asked awkwardly, "Say Nancy, would you like to, oh I don't know, hang out at some point this week? Like catch a movie or something?"

A smirk appeared on the dark-haired woman's face as she leaned in and asked quietly, "Jo Polniaczek, are you asking me out on a date?"

The gruff woman was caught off guard for a moment, surprised that the other woman's observation, but after realizing her question had a flirtatious tone to it, she turned her charm on and replied coolly, "Maybe. It can be a date if ya want it to be." She winked at her for good measure.

Nancy's face flushed as she grinned, replying softly, "I wouldn't mind that. Does tonight sound good?" The Bronx native nodded and responded, "Sounds good to me. I'll pick ya up around six outside your dorm."

Nancy agreed to the arrangement and said goodbye as she left with a smile on her face. Blair, Natalie, George and Andy stared at Jo in astonishment. Her eyes glanced from one person to the other before she said, "What are ya starin' at?"

"You, how do you do that," Natalie answered exasperatedly. Jo's brow furrowed as she retorted, "What the hell are ya talkin' 'bout?" Perplexed, Blair asked, "Jo, how on earth do you do that? Why are you so good at picking up dates? You're almost as good as me!"

Jo rolled her eyes and started moving away from the counter, stating, "I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. Now if you excuse me, I'm goin' on break." She left the room and went to the back. Blair and Natalie looked at each other, amazed by the fact that their dearest friend successfully reeled in one of their oldest friends. Andy shook his head and stated, "Why does Jo get lucky but not me?"

"You're not a chick magnet, you're just a kid," George stated as he went back to work.

 

Jo went into the living room and bumped into Tootie, who was holding the letter she planned on giving to her. The actress apologized, "Oh, uh, sorry about that Jo." The brunette gave her friend a small smile and said, "Oh it's Ok Tootie." She noticed the piece of paper in her hand and asked curiously, "What's that?"

Tootie glanced at the paper and instantly replied, "Nothing. Just homework." She hoped the answer was satisfying for the biker.

It seemed to, for the brunette responded, "Oh I see. Well good luck with that," she moved passed Tootie and made her way up the stairs, exclaiming, "I got a date tonight and I wanna make sure my bike's all tuned up. I need my toolbox."

"Date," questioned the younger girl with surprise and disappointment in her voice. She bit her lip and looked down at her note, muttering under her breath, "Damn it..."

 

Around six O'clock, Jo came down the stairs dressed in a nice flannel shirt, worn jeans and white sneakers that really didn't go with her outfit. Her wavy hair was loose and free, which seemed to complete her appearance.  She rolled down her sleeves and asked, "So how do I look?"

Blair looked up from her book and studied her friend before replying, "Well, you certainly look like yourself; a barbarian." The brunette frowned and swatted at the heiress. Blair snickered and said, "I'm joking, I'm joking. You look nice Jo, seriously."

A small smirk formed on the biker's face as she said, "Well thank you, that's a better answer." Natalie put the remote to the TV down and asked with a cheeky grin, "So Jo, you hoping to, you know, get lucky tonight?" She bounced her eyebrows up and down to add effect to what she meant. Jo squinted her eyes at her and responded, "No Nat. It's just a little date, nothin' special."

Natalie countered with, "Yeah, but it could become something special. You never know!" Jo grimaced at her friend's odd assertion and made her way to the coat rack as she stated, "You're such a perv, Nat."

Tootie sauntered out of the kitchen when she saw Jo. Her heart was pounding frantically as she stared at her. The attraction possibly grew bigger at that moment.

"Wow Jo, you look really good, I mean _really_ , really good," she breathed as she took in the whole of the brunette. Jo blushed a little and smiled, flattered by her friend's compliment. She said kindly, "Thanks Tootie." She then put on her coat and declared, "I'll be back around ten, don't wait up for me!"

"Bye Jo, have a good time," Beverly Ann said before closing the door behind her. She strode back to her spot in the living room and said with a chuckle, "I think she's finally getting comfortable with us knowing."

"What do you mean," Natalie asked. The older woman picked up her crochet and answered, "Well remember when she first came out, she'd sneak out of the window to go on her dates? Well now she's more open about it; she said to me, 'I'm going out,' and that was it." She smiled to herself as she resumed her project.

Nat snickered and said, "I bet someday Jo's gonna be like King Solomon and have like fifty girlfriends or something." Blair joined in at the chuckle as the two pictured their friend in such a manner. Tootie, not really pleased by the thought, quietly walked up the stairs. This did not go unnoticed by the group though, as Beverly called out, "Tootie, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing Beverly, honest," answered the actress from on top of the stairs. Natalie rose from the couch and tapped Blair's knee, saying, "Let me know what I miss on the show. I'm gonna go check on her."

 

When Nat entered their bedroom, she found Tootie sitting at the desk, staring down at the note she had written. She put her hand on her shoulder and asked, "You Ok Tootie?" The young woman was startled and stammered, "What? Oh, I, uh...I..." Her words faltered when she looked into her best friend's kind face. It was too hard to keep secrets from Natalie.

Tootie sighed and replied, "Honestly? No, I'm not Ok. I feel like an idiot and a jerk right now."

"Why," Natalie asked as she took a seat on the bed. Tootie joined her and answered, "Because...I have a crush on someone we know...And I feel really bad because they're our best friend and I'm still dating Jeff! Well, kinda dating Jeff..."

Natalie nodded slowly and took in her friend's words. She observed how lately Tootie seemed like she was starting to lose interest in Jeff. She couldn't really blame her; their relationship was strained from their distance, with him attending a different college. Jeff was a good guy, honestly he was, but there was always something that nagged at Natalie, making her feel like he wasn't going to be the permanent person in Tootie's life.

The writer noted that Tootie hadn't dated a lot of people outside of Jeff, and that the situation was a lot like how Jo was with Eddie. The clever girl didn't understand either woman's desire to mate for life. Where was the fun in that? She put her arm around her friend to comfort her.

"Tootie, be honest with yourself; do you really still have the same feelings you had for Jeff when you first started dating him? If not, then why hold on to this, especially if there's someone else," Natalie spoke earnestly, looking her friend directly in the eyes.

Tootie blew out a breath and responded, "I know, I know...But what do I do when he comes to visit this Saturday? I can't just tell him there's someone else!" The writer replied, "Well, you gotta be honest with him Tootie. He'll be way more mad if he found out on his own that there was someone else."

The actress retorted in a frustrated tone, "But it's more complicated than that Nat! This other person isn't just some guy!"

Waiting a beat, Natalie added, "Like a Bronx chick who lives under this roof?" Tootie's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed crimson red. She stuttered, "H-How did you..." Her friend rolled her eyes and answered, "I'm not an idiot, I noticed the way you stared at Jo. I wasn't sure what it was about, but I just got it."

Tootie buried her face into Natalie's shoulder, hiding her face from embarrassment. Natalie patted her back in a comforting manner, saying, "Tootie, it's ok if you like Jo that way. And if wanna have a chance with her, then you need to be honest with both her and Jeff."

"But that's the thing, I'm not gonna get a chance. Jo's going out with another girl, and it's Nancy of all people," grumbled the young woman. The writer snorted and said, "Trust me, Nancy's not her type. I don't think this date's gonna work out."

Confused, Tootie asked, "Why do you say that?" Her friend shifted her position to face her and replied, "You know how Nancy is; she's not stupid or anything, but she's not that bright either. Jo likes smart girls, talented girls. You, my friend," she emphasized by poking Tootie, "are both." The actress bit her lip and thought about it for a moment, "Well...Maybe, I guess. I'll have to take care of Jeff first though..."

The writer nodded and patted her on the back, replying, "Good. I'm proud of you."

 

Around ten, Jo arrived home. She sauntered into the house and placed her helmet on the table. Being the only one in the living room, Blair took notice and asked, "How'd the date go Jo?" The Bronx native licked her lips and rubbed her hands on her pants, as if she had something on them. She sheepishly made her way to the couch and sat down, starting, "Um, it was fine...Just, I feel stupid right now..."

Concerned, her friend asked, "Why's that? Did something happen with you and Nancy?" Jo sighed and sat back with her arms crossed. She stared at her shoes as she replied, "We had a good time. We went to a movie, grabbed some dinner, then I brought her back. We were about to share a goodnight kiss until she got all nervous and told me she couldn't do it...She admitted to me that she's been confused 'bout herself lately and wanted to go out with me 'cuz some of the girls told her I was hot stuff. She went out with me because she was hopin' she'd get answers for herself..."

Blair shook her head. She couldn't believe the date went that way, as usually she expected to find her best friend sneaking into the house at three in the morning with hickies all over her neck. She said, "I'm so sorry Jo...I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you." The other woman nodded, "Of course not. I can't be mad at her for tryin' to figure things out. I just..." She sighed again.

"I feel like a dumbass," Jo started, "I was hopin' we'd hit it off or somethin'...This whole thing's so embarrassing."

"More embarrassing than when you went out with Kelly and you called her Sugar Mama in bed," Blair asked nonchalantly.

Jo shot daggers at her and quickly hissed, "One time! That was one time Blair! I still can't believe Kelly told you that!" She grunted and looked away as her face turned a deep red.

Blair sighed and held her friend's hand, stating, "Jo, it's going to be Ok. You'll have other dates. So what if Nancy didn't work out? There's plenty of other fish in the sea." The brunette turned to her and asked softly, "Ya mean that?" The blond nodded with a grin and responded, "Of course. You'll be fine."

Jo gave her a small smile and got up and made her way around the couch. She placed a quick, friendly peck on the top of Blair's head and said, "Thanks blondie. I'm gonna go to bed." The heiress smiled and replied, "Good night Jo."

The biker went to the group's bedroom and found that her two friends weren't there. She poked her head into Andy's room, where she found the boy sitting on his bed reading a comic book when he should've been sleeping. She asked, "Yo kiddo, you know where your mom, Tootie and Natalie are?"

"Oh, they just went for a quick trip to the store. They needed coffee and tea," Andy explained before returning his gaze to his comic. The brunette nodded and returned to her room. She saw a note on the desk and picked it up. It was addressed to her from "T.R." It took her a moment to realize it meant Tootie Ramsey, then feeling curious, she unfolded and read it.

Tootie had forgotten to hide the note before she left.

 

 

 

 


End file.
